Hi. I'm new to the board (soon to post my own story about my difficult child), but I'd say make sure you have the right medications, i.e. check with your doctor. My difficult child son and I both have ADD, and react very badly to most ADD medications. Adderal makes us homicidal - literally. Antidepressants (like WellButrin) make us suicidal. My difficult child literally tried everything, but eventually suffered from the same side effect.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), difficult child is also a pot smoker and experiments with other drugs. He told me about something he tried called Focalin - which is a form of Ritalin where the part with most of the side effects have been removed. After four years, it turned out to be the only thing he could take that didn't make him any worse than he already was. Never thought I'd see anything "positive" from my son being a drug addict, but I guess you take good stuff when you can, regardless of how it comes to you....
Alas, he now refuses to take it (ODD as well as ADD). He's 17, big, strong, and defiant (I think the right word might be "oppositional"). However, when he DID take Focalin it worked well without side effects (i.e. he didn't put his fist through walls and act like the second coming of Charles Manson).
My only point is that the wrong medications can really make things worse, so like the other posters here have said, be sure you're working closely with your doctor and don't be afraid to be pushy. We had push for him to Rx Focalin, and we had to fight our insurance co. to pay for it.
Not sure this helps, but hope it does. Best wishes and prayers for you from someone who understands.
Mikey
